Illinois Right to Life Committee
Action Needed
Status of Illinois legislation that impacts life issues
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State of Illinois
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Anti-Life bills introduced in Illinois' 95th
General Assembly in 2008:
HB 4623: Amends the Adoption Act
HB
4623 will do the following:
1)
Allows all adoptees born prior to January 1, 1946, to have
unrestricted access to their orignial birth certificates regardless of any objection of birth parents.
2)
Allows adult
adoptees born after January 1, 1946, to access copies of their original birth certificates
starting April 1, 2009. The exception is if
the birth parent makes a specific request, on a special form, for anonymity through the
state registry.
3)
Even with a
request for anonymity by a birth parent, the information in the original birth certificate
would still be made available, only without the name and address of the objecting birth
parent. if the other birth parent does not
know to make a request then that birth parent’s name can
be obtained which could also lead to exposure of the second birth parent who requested
anonymity.
4)
Allows not
only the adoptee to obtain the original birth certificate, but also the adoptee’s surviving
spouse and adult children if the adoptee is deceased.
HB
4623
creates serious problems in unsealing adoption identifying information
1)
Breaks the
long-standing agreement with birth parents and the state of Illinois that the adoption
records and original birth certificates would be sealed.
2)
Creates
exposure of birth parents to being identified, against their wishes, even decades after
the adoptions were finalized.
3)
Allows for
only a six-month public service campaign prior to
the law going into effect for adoptions after January 1, 1946, to inform the adult adopted
and surrendered persons and their birth parents of the provisions of the new law. Birth parents
who moved out of state or who just don’t hear of the
information campaign lose their rights to privacy.
These provisions could result in concerns about choosing
adoption, leading to abortion.
HB
5615 disallows any regulation of abortion; it provides public funds through
Medicaid for abortion; it drives people morally opposed to abortion from the health care
industry by refusing to allow for any right of conscience for moral reasons related to
abortion or contraceptives; and it mandates "comprehensive" sex education for
every child in Illinois public schools, K-12. HB
5615 is far outside the mainstream. Get more details on HB
5615's imposing provisions. Status: HB
5615 never received a committee vote by the deadline so it should be dead for the
current legislative session.
HJRCA0002:
RATIFIES EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT
The Federal Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) has expired, but this resolution would add
Illinois to those states who ratified the ERA in an attempt to resurrect it. The ERA would legalize
abortion and create other serious legal issues for families.
Anti-Life bills introduced in Illinois' 95th
General Assembly in 2007:
HB 317: Adolescent Health Care Safety Act
HB 317 would amend
the Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 1995, adding provisions that deceptively claim to
provide parental notice while doing no such thing. HB 317
lost a 55-62 vote on 4/26/07, and a motion to reconsider was never acted upon.
This vote was critical to maintain the Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 1995 that
Attorney General Lisa Madigan ruled should be enforced. Check
how your rep voted and call to thank or express concern based on their first
vote.
Under HB 317, a minor
seeking an abortion may waive the notice requirement by receiving counseling. This
undermines the whole object of the Parental Notice
of Abortion Act. There is no
notification requirement (parent or otherwise) if HB 317 became law. Even
if notice was required under this legislation, it would not necessarily include parents or
legal guardians. As amended (to search for more votes),
HB 317 allowed notification of any grandparent, aunt or uncle. The original bill
included notification of aunts, uncles, siblings, step-siblings or clergy
members.
HB
1077: Pharmacy Practice -- Emergency Contraception
Status: HB 1077 was never brought to a
vote so it appears to be stopped
for this session. HB
1077 was approved 6-3 by the Human Services Committee on
March 7th so it could be brought to a floor vote.
Promoters of over-the-counter sales of Plan B,
known as the “morning after pill,” made extravagant claims that improved access
would cut unwanted pregnancies and abortions by 50%, despite the fact that Plan B itself
can cause an early abortion. Shortly after the FDA approved over-the-counter sales of
Plan B to women or men at least 18 years old, the true facts came out in a published
study. Data from 10 nations revealed that Plan B "has not been shown to reduce
unintended pregnancy rates or abortions.” The authors also rated Plan B's
effectiveness as "substantially overstated."
Despite evidence that Plan B did not live up to the promises, HB
1077 would
allow this now discredited morning-after pill to be available without a prescription to
children younger than 18 years old. This legislation would override FDA restrictions
and force pharmacists to sell Plan B to children without a prescription.
Children deserve better!
SB 4 & HB 139: Embryonic Stem Cell Research and Human
Cloning
Stop the funding for experimentation that kills
human embryos -- tell your state representative to vote NO on HB 139. Tell
your state senator to vote against funding this unethical research.
Status: SB 4 passed the House by a vote of 70-44 and the Senate by a vote
of 35-23. It was sent to the governor where he signed it into law on 8/28/07. Ironically,
no funding was allocated in the budget so no money is immediately available to support
unethical embryonic stem cell research.
SB
4 (STEM CELL RESEARCH ACT) would authorize funding for embryonic
stem cell research that includes use of human cloning as a source of these embryos.
Sponsors have included language to try to make it appear that this bill bans human
cloning. IT DOES NOT. SB 4 establishes the Illinois Regenerative
Medicine Institute (to perform embryonic stem cell research and human cloning).
On March 1, 2007 an equivalent bill (HB 138) passed the House on a vote of
67-46, but later SB 4 was selected for final passage.
HB 139 (STEM CELL RESEARCH FUNDING)
would provide $25 million from the Tobacco Settlement Recovery Fund to the Illinois
Regenerative Medicine Institute under the Department of Public Health for the purpose of
awarding grants for stem cell research.
HB
115 (HPV Prevention) and SB
10 (Cervical Cancer Prevention)
Status:
HB 115 and SB 10 were never brought to votes so it
appears they are stopped
for this session. HB 115 was approved 5-3
in the Human Services Committee on March 21st and SB 10 was approved 6-4 in Public Health
committee on March 1st so both bills could be brought to a floor vote.
HB 115 and SB 10 require that, beginning with the 2008-2009 school year,
the parent or legal guardian of a female child entering the sixth grade (HB 115 changed to
fifth grade) must submit a statement signed by a physician to the effect that the parent
or guardian received information on the connection between HPV and cervical cancer and
verifying that the child received the HPV vaccine or that the parent or guardian, having
received the information, elected not to have the child receive the HPV vaccine and that
the child did not receive the HPV vaccine. HB 115 and SB 10 interfere with
parents' rights to make decisions about their children's health care by introducing
compliance requirements for a vaccine that is unnecessary unless the child is sexually
active. More information on the HPV vaccine: Top researcher:
'Untested' vaccine could harm -- HPV 'experiment' on girls American
College of Pediatricians Statement
The HPV vaccine provides a false sense of security because it does not
protect against HPV strains that cause 30% of cervical cancer cases, and offers no
protection against any other sexually transmitted disease. The adverse effects of
this vaccine must be considered. According to the National Vaccine Information
Center (NVIC), the federal Vaccine Adverse Effect Reporting System (VAERS) is now
receiving reports of loss of consciousness, seizures, and neurological disorders such as
loss of vision, slurred speech, numbness and tingling following administration of the
vaccine in the few months since its approval last June. “HANDS OFF OUR KIDS
COALITION” LETTER (addressed to Texas Gov. Perry, but most
of its points apply equally to HB 115 in Illinois)
SB
15 (Post Partum Mood Disorders Prevention Act)
Status: SB 15 was approved by the
Illinois Senate on a 55-0 vote May 10, 2007 and by the House 115-0 on May 29, 2007.
It was signed into law by the governor on 8/27/07.
SB 15 would establish government
involvement in directing how doctors should monitor pregnant and post partum women for
signs of mood disorders. This bill would interfere in doctor/patient relationships
and require doctors to "invite" mothers to take a questionnaire (an
amendment removed specific reference to the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression
Scale questionnaire) to evaluate their mental state whenever they bring their children
as patients up to the child's first birthday. The bill also mandates that physicians
and other licensed health care workers provide education to women and their families about
postpartum mood disorders and mandates that hospital and other healthcare facilities
provide departing new moms and dads and other family members with "complete
information about postpartum mood disorders."
SB 715 - "School Health
Centers" Act
Status: passed 74-40 by the House so unfortunately headed to the
governor who signed it into law on 8/28/07. SB 715, "School Health
Centers" Act creates 20 new "school health centers." These school-based
clinics can dispense contraceptives, condoms and refer for abortions. Even the
Administrative Code for "School-Based/Linked Health Centers" states that medical
services WILL include "family planning" and "prescribing, dispensing, or
referring for birth control". SB 715 passed the Illinois Senate earlier on a
32-22 vote. Good news! No funding was allocated in the final budget so
no action will be taken in the next year to create any "school health centers."
Pro-Life bills introduced in Illinois' 95th
General Assembly in 2007:
SB
19: Cord Blood Stem Cell Banks Act
Status: SB 19 was passed on
5/28/07 by the House on a 112-0 vote after passing the Senate 3/22/07 on 57-0 vote.
SB 19 was signed into law by the governor on 8/24/07. SB 19 would direct
the Department of Public Health to establish a statewide network of cord blood stem cell
banks. The bill sets forth requirements and duties of donor banks. Such cord blood
stem cell banks will facilitate both more stem cell research and treatments of human
patients with stem cells obtained from umbilical cord blood. Many successful
treatments have already been achieved using stem cells from cord blood. |
Organizations expressing the need to oppose
the above anti-life bills include:
Concerned Women for America
Illinois Citizens for Life
Illinois Family Institute
Illinois Federation for Right to Life
Catholic Conference of Illinois
Respect Life Office, Archdiocese of Chicago
Family-PAC
Find your Districts & Legislators (select "By Address"
and enter your 9-digit zip code)
State of Illinois
Legislature (check bill wording & status, committee
members, etc.)
Action Needed Archive
-- Previous Legislative Sessions
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Status of Federal Legislation that Impacts Life Issues
Make calls to demand that Federal funding of Planned
Parenthood be stopped
Find
your US Representative (select "By Address" and enter your
9-digit zip code)
United States House of
Representatives
Barack Obama (202-224-2854) and Richard Durbin
(202-224-2152) (U.S. Senators for Illinois) can also be reached via the Capitol
switchboard at 1-202-224-3121 or by email using the United States Senate web site. In
Illinois, call Senator Barack Obama at (312) 886-3506 and Senator Richard Durbin at (312)
353-4952.
Legislative Action Center (For additional information on legislation)
President Bush can be reached via the
White House Comment Line at (202) 456-1111, or by
email at comments@whitehouse.gov,
or by fax at 202-456-2461.
PEPFAR:
President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
The House Foreign Affairs Full Committee markup on the President’s
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Global AIDS reauthorization bill has been
re-scheduled for Thursday, February 28. The current draft by new Chairman Howard Berman
(D-Calif.) still deemphasizes the values that have made our international anti-HIV program
successful and that have made the United States respected in the countries where it is
implemented. The Berman bill would eliminate that success to create a massive $10 billion
per year pot that will be tilted toward abortion operators and promoters.
Federal
Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act (H.R. 4133)
Congressman Mike Pence has sponsored the Title X Abortion Provider
Prohibition Act (H.R. 4133). This bill would deny federal family planning funds to
non-hospitals that perform abortions, with narrow exceptions. "Taxpayer funds should
not be given to organizations that are the backbone of the abortion industry, such as
Planned Parenthood," said Douglas Johnson, legislative director of National Right to
Life. According to its 2005-2006 annual report, Planned Parenthood performed
264,943 abortions in 2005, over 20% of all abortions in the U.S. It received $305.3
million in government grants and contracts.
Given the 107 felony charges filed against Planned Parenthood in Kansas,
Federal funds should be denied at least until those charges are resolved. Conviction
on felony charges would make Planned Parenthood ineligible to receive any Federal funds
under current law.
The equivalent bill in the U.S. Senate is Title X Family Planning Act (S.
351), sponsored by Senator David Vitter. All U.S. Representatives and
Senators need to hear from constituents who are opposed to continued Federal funding of
Planned Parenthood. Please call now.
Patients
First Act (H.R. 2807))
The Patients First Act (H.R. 2807), sponsored by Reps. Randy Forbes, R-Va., and Daniel
Lipinski, D-Ill., promotes stem-cell research that neither creates, injures nor destroys
human embryos. Recent developments in stem-cell techniques continue to demonstrate that
destructive embryonic stem-cell research is not only unethical, but unwarranted. In
November, researchers were able to turn ordinary human body cells into embryonic-like stem
cells that are capable of developing into virtually any type of cell or tissue —
without the destruction of young human life. Urge your U.S. representative to
co-sponsor the Patients First Act (H.R. 2807).
Abstinence
Education Funding (H.R. 2432)
Status: H.R. 2432 is needed to preserve funding for abstinence education
under Title V. Call your U.S. Representative to ask for their co-sponsorship of H.R.
2432. Abstinence education has been shown to be effective in reducing
teenage pregnancy and abortion, but a recent questionable study is being used as
justification for defunding abstinence education. More details
Embryonic
Stem Cell Research Funding (H.R. 3 and S. 5)
Status: S. 5 was passed by a 63-34 vote on April 11, 2007.
Since 67 votes are needed to override the veto of President Bush, this bill will not
become law. S. 5 is the U.S. Senate bill that would require Federal funding of
embryonic stem cell research.
Status: H.R. 3 passed in the U.S. House of Representatives
by a vote of 253-174 on January 11, 2007. The "yes" votes are
currently at least 30 short of the total needed to override President Bush's veto.
This bill would require Federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, similar to H.R.
810 that was vetoed by President Bush in 2006. We do not need to kill human embryos
to achieve success with stem cells, as recently shown by the research using amniotic fluid stem cells.
Lobbying
Reform (H.R. 984 + the Meehan Amendment, and S. 1)
The Meehan Amendment is another attempt to regulate grassroots lobbying.
It ought to be called the 'We Regard Our Constituents As Lobbyists Act of
2007." Sufficient concern was expressed to U.S. Representatives that
the Meehan Amendment was pulled from consideration. The House ethics bill
passed on May 24th did not include any provisions to regulate grassroots lobbying.
The grassroots lobbying section of U.S. House Bill 984 (H.R.
984) contains onerous reporting requirements (on a quarterly basis), and civil fines
of up to $100,000 for failing to comply. The effect on grassroots groups to get you
information on any bill before Congress will be profound. Under H.R. 984, these
groups would be required to report the issues, employees, and dollars spent in what is
called "paid efforts to stimulate grassroots lobbying" (that phrase is not
defined). This reporting requirement is triggered by two actions: (1) a
lobbying "contact" – a personal or written communication with an individual
in the executive or legislative branch of the federal government concerning public policy
issues, from legislation to nominations; and (2) communications with grassroots
(that’s you) that "influence" them to contact the executive or legislative
branches ("influence" is not defined, but it apparently doesn't even have to
include a specific "call to action"). There is no minimum dollar spending
requirement that triggers these onerous reporting requirements.
S. 1 Status: In a 55-43 vote on 1/18/07 the Senate approved
Bennett Amendment #20 to protect free speech before passage of S. 1 by 96-2.
However, both Durbin and Obama voted against
Amendment 20. Senate Bill 1 (S. 1) is intended to reform
lobbying activity, but the now removed Section 220 would have encumbered with regulations
anyone who informs voters to encourage grassroots lobbying. This would amount to a
severe restriction on freedom of speech. These organizations who simply distribute
information about proposed laws to generate grassroots lobbying would no longer be
able to send out that information. For example, making the following request would
no longer be possible. Ask Senators Durbin and Obama why they voted NO
on Bennett Amendment #20 to Senate Bill 1 (S. 1). Call Senator Durbin
at 202-224-2152 and Senator Obama at 202-224-2854.
Urge senators to oppose CEDAW
The U.S. Senate could vote on whether to ratify a treaty called the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Some international bodies have interpreted this treaty to prohibit any limitations on
abortion. U.S. ratification of CEDAW could have serious impacts on state and federal
laws limiting abortions because the treaty has already been construed to condemn virtually
all limits on abortion by the U.N. committee that is charged with enforcing it, by the
European Parliament, and by pro-abortion litigating groups.
What is CEDAW? CEDAW is a treaty that was adopted
by the U.N. General Assembly in 1979. Since then it has been ratified by 185
nations, but never by the United States. President Jimmy Carter signed the treaty
and sent it to the Senate in 1980, but the Senate has never voted on whether to ratify it
– in part because of serious questions about the impact it could have in many areas
of U.S. law, including laws pertaining to abortion. Although the CEDAW does not
mention the word “abortion,” Article 12 does require signing nations to
“eliminate discrimination against women in the field of health care in order to
ensure, on a basis of equality between men and women, access to health care services,
including those related to family planning.” Since about 1995, Article 12 and
other provisions have been creatively interpreted by official bodies, ranging from the
European Parliament to the UN CEDAW Committee, to condemn limitations on abortion, on
grounds that any restrictions on abortion constitute discrimination against women. |
Pro-Life
Bill in the U.S. Congress:
With the Democrats now heading Congressional committees,
these bills are not likely to even be brought to a vote during 2007 or 2008.
Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act (H.R. 1063)
The Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act (H.R. 1063) in the U.S. House of
Representatives (called CIANA) requires any abortionist to notify a parent before
performing an abortion on a minor who is a resident of another state, unless the minor has
already received authorization from a court in her home state, or unless the abortionist
is already required to provide such parental notification by a current law in the state in
which he practices. If the minor asserts that she is the victim of abuse, the
abortionist would notify the appropriate state child abuse agency instead of a parent.
Unborn
Child Pain Awareness Act (S. 356)
The purpose of this bill is to
inform the public -- especially mothers seeking abortion -- of the pain
experienced by unborn children during abortion. University of Arkansas pediatrician, Dr.
Kanwaljeet Anand testified as an expert witness in the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban lawsuit
that children are conscious once they have reached 20 weeks gestation and that they
experience excruciating pain in the course of abortion. It is on the basis of his
testimony that the new bill has been fashioned, requiring abortionists to inform their
customers -- if at least 20 weeks pregnant -- about the pain their babies will
experience and to offer anesthesia for such babies. The bill pertains to any abortion
technique.
Alternative
Pluripotent Stem Cell Therapies Enhancement Act (H.R. 322)
The Alternative Pluripotent Stem
Cell Therapies Enhancement Act (H.R. 322) would instruct the Federal government to seek
alternative sources of embryonic stem cells that do not require the killing of
embryos. Concerns expressed about
this bill appear based on mis-information.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton Pregnant and Parenting Students Act (H.R. 1088)
The purpose of this act is
to establish a pilot program to provide grants to encourage eligible institutions of
higher education to establish and operate pregnant and parenting student services offices
for pregnant students, parenting students, prospective parenting students who are
anticipating a birth or adoption, and students who are placing or have placed a child for
adoption.
Informed Choice (H.R. 223)
This bill would authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to
make grants to nonprofit tax-exempt organizations for the purchase of ultrasound equipment
to provide free examinations to pregnant women needing such services, and for other
purposes.
Find
your US Representative (select "By Address" and enter your
9-digit zip code)
United States House of
Representatives
Barack Obama (202-224-2854) and Richard Durbin
(202-224-2152) (U.S. Senators for Illinois) can also be reached via the Capitol
switchboard at 1-202-224-3121 or by email using the United States Senate web site. In
Illinois, call Senator Barack Obama at (312) 886-3506 and Senator Richard Durbin at (312)
353-4952.
Legislative Action Center (For additional information on legislation)
Action Needed Archive
-- Previous Legislative Sessions
|